kamikaze

i think most crime in this city is opportunity driven. ie. every time a neighbour builds, we get a break-in a week later (3 times in a row now). but lets not get side tracked. the cause is not the issue. i am trying to see if the hijackings are indeed related (and hopefully limited) to these areas.kamikaze2009-10-08 06:00:07

i just heard about 2 guys (friends of a friend) who were stripped of their bikes and belongings at gunpoint by 5 cowards on the spruit a few days ago. my moer-meter is in the red because i ride there often (as in once a week at least)! no one said it was safe to ride there but, there are certain areas that stand out that i personally do NOT feel safe riding along (which i avoid). two come to mind: 1. rapists' corner - the section between william nichol drive, and the causeway at sandton field and study. 2. troll bridge - the wooded area between ballyclare drive bridge and the dirt-jump area. these two areas have LOTS of mother******* skulking around and looking on with plotting eyes as one rides past. i am trying to see if these hijackings and other similar events are isolated to certain areas along the route. if you know of an incident which took place along the spruit, post the approximate location here. lets see if there is a common trend so we can avoid those areas. (and maybe we can gang up and go and "evict" them one night, armed with baseball bats and flame throwers.) kamikaze2009-10-08 05:52:38

flesh vs metal, it doesnt matter which way you're facing, which way you're going, or what your combined or deducted speed is - you're buggered. that's why there's merit in seeing what's coming towards you, it give's you a fighting chance. i dont see how riding towards a motorist increases your chances of getting hit? you are pretty much stationary compared to him, so avoiding a collision from his side should not depend on which way you are facing. that's why i dont get why some motorists freak out at you for being able to see them coming. obviously riding towards traffic is not always a good idea, like bombing down a hill at 75km/h on a road with no verge and a steep kerb. kamikaze2009-07-15 10:36:12

it makes no difference which way you face, you occupy the same amount of space. the difference is that on the right you have control over moving out of the way if some moron in a car is chatting on the phone, not paying attention, and about to kill you. this is because you can SEE what is coming your way. riding on the right hand side saved my life the other day when an impatient taxi suddenly jumped out from behind a car to overtake on the left (as they always do). he couldnt see me from the drivers side, but i could see his taxi and which way it was suddenly coming. i just narrowly managed to get out of the way and avoid getting klapped at 60+km/h! if i was facing the other way, would not be typing this. no argument against riding on the right hand side holds water. again, you occupy the same amount of space, no matter which way you face. i dont ride in the road if i can help it, but if i must, i ride on the right. the left is a lottery.kamikaze2009-07-15 07:10:23

i recently bought my wife a bike second hand. it came with tubed tyres with slime in - not sure which brand, but it's lumo green. the reason i know it has slime? well, the other day i pull a thorn out of her rear wheel and a green stream of sealant shoots out against the wall. not being a "believer", i say to myself - some good this stuff is - and pack up laughing. i spin the wheel once and suddenly the stream stops and the air stops rushing out. i then find another thorn in the front and repeat the same process as above. i decide to do a little experiment and leave it as is. 3 days later and the wheels are still at the same pressure. we go for a 12km ride and again i decide not to fix the holes before we go just to see what happens. to my amazement the wheels held up fine and didnt lose even a little air! needless to say i am a believer NOW! (but unfortunately i dont know which brand of slime it is)

That?s my point! There is no ?specialized SA?, only some dude who wants sole importing rights (and a way to please his buddies). Screw him, if you have a problem, go directly to the source in the USA! The same goes for ANY product which is not made here in SA.

oh, i'm sorry, the term "crash replacement warranty/policy" created the wrong impression. i read the other thread and thought, how on earth can a rep be so arrogant? note i say rep, because i am willing to bet money that specialized USA has a different outlook! write to specialized in the USA, but do it on paper (not e-mail) if possible, it makes more of an impression. find out who the CEO / MD is and writedirectly to him - be sincere and outline your dissapointment. case in point: 1. the lenses on my oakley's have a coating that started peeling (after 5 years). all the shops around here told me i had to buy replacement lenses @ R1000. i thought no way! i put the lenses in an envelope along with a very sincere letter explaining why i bought their brand, and how dissapointed i am now, and posted it back to oakley in california. i didnt ask for my money back or a replacement, i merely asked them to inspect the situation. two months later i get a package from Fedex with brand new oakley's inside - not just new lenses, new sunglasses. 2. my wife's G-shock packed up after swimming. this is a watch that has "water resist 100m" engraved on it. all the the shop assistants tried to argue with me over the definition of "water resist" vs "waterproof", and two of them told me that steam in a shower is at a higher pressure than ambient atmospheric pressure (like a pressure cooker).... i realised that i wasnt getting anywhere. again, i wrote a very sincere letter to casio international explaining why i bought their brand, and how dissapointed i am now. 4 weeks later i receive an e-mail from the local dealer saying i can collect my new watch. dont waste your time with reps and local "agencies", they dont have the reputation of the company at heart, only their own pockets. go directly to the company involved, preferably the MD. ps. dont even get me started on KTM sa, the most arrogant people you will ever deal with.kamikaze2009-07-08 01:33:56

wow, imagine getting parts replaced free of charge on some sort of policy that covers me in the event of a crash. that would be nice...

strangely enough, i do but what makes me feel even better is when i drive around at dusk with a box of eggs in my lap. nothing makes people switch on their lights as quickly as an egg on the windscreen. scene in car - "what was that!? oh sh*t, my lights are still off!"

am i the only one who gets annoyed at people who think that park lights are for that time period between sunset and the point where you can see f%$# all ?!?!?!?!?! of course, they then almost always forget to switch on their headlights once it is properly dark because the instrument lights are already on fooling them into thinking that their headlights are already on. why switch on those pathetic little 1w corner bulbs at a time when visibility is worse than when it is completely dark? what purpose does it serve in your limited little mind? ask yourself this - WHY are they called park lights??? there are a few variations: a. the "no lights after sunset" - hey that's what streetlights are for! besides, i'm "saving" my bulbs and battery perps - BEE drivers and taxi's b. the "screw headlights, ive got foglights!", because foglights are for showing off at dusk, but then you forget to switch on your headlights and wonder why you can only see 10m in front of you. perps - BMW's, and more recently audi's aaaaaaaarrgh!!!!!!! kamikaze2009-07-07 01:44:52

excellent! [EDIT] went past there again yesterday afternoon, and it is still overflowing - it looks as though it may have been fixed, but it hasn't. it seems to be coming from a private residence, and i trickling slowly. what i dont get is how people live next to this and dont care/notice that their drain is overflowing, damming up an area the length of a tennis court, and causing serious stench. i rode a short section of about 4km, and smelled raw sewage no less than 4 times. it is shocking to think that the only reason that river flows during winter is because of toilets being flushed! that's africa i suppose....kamikaze2009-07-07 01:45:43

the number to phone is: Joburg Connect call centre on 011 375 5555 i phoned the number but then you get a list of options, and none of them are relevant held for an operator but got impatient - anyoine else feel like phoning?

there's another one between 12th avenue rivonia and the N1 bridge. it's pretty wide and disgusting, and it fills the single track for about 30m. getting around it is not easy. rode past on monday, and friday last week it was still going what's the number to call? apparently water affairs will act quickly if it's flowing into a river.